rome or rather in the vatican city, to elect the next pope. fredricka? >> in general, are people taking this report seriously throughout rome, or is there some reticence to really embrace it? >> reporter: well, that depends who you speak to. some of the vaticanisti, veteran cat vath can watchers, are somewhat skeptical about these reports, but many other people are taking them seriously. they've been picked up not only by these two publications but really they're appearing in all the italian media. we've had in the past just three years ago there were reports that were backed up by video and still pictures of rather gay priests wnl the vatican. and so there is a historical precedent to that. so many people, in fact, do take these reports very seriously despite the vigorous denials from the vatican. >> ben wedeman, thanks so much, from rome. keep us posted. >>> a cardinal who will vote for a new pope is tied up in a melszy legal deposition today here in the states. cardinal roger mahony, one of the most powerful catholic leaders in the u.s., mu